Beading device for flexible sheets



May 26, 1970 M. A. MERILLET 3,513,902

BEADING DEVICE FOR FLEXIBLE SHEETS Filed Dec. 30, 1966 nvvE/v TOR MAKCEL 4. MER/LLET r4 TTOENE Y5 United States Patent 3,513,902 BEADING DEVICE FOR FLEXIBLE SHEETS Marcel A. Merillet, Viry-Chatillon, France, assignor to Hatier Editions S.A., Fribourg, Switzerland Filed Dec. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 606,101 Claims priority, applicatign6 France, Jan. 7, 1966,

Int. Cl. A47h 21/00 US. Cl. 160-392 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to the application of beading to documents, and particularly to hanging up sheets, wall-boards of pearl screens.

Beading devices are already known which comprise a U or circular section frame which holds documents gripped between its edges simply by the elasticity of the latter. A disadvantage of such a system is that it is only suitable for use with wads of sheets and that there is a risk of the sheets falling out.

Another known means employs hollow beading, in the interior cavity of which a document is retained by a projection provided along the upper edge of the document. This system thus requires the provision of such a projection and is not certain to retain the document when a pull is exerted on the latter.

It is also known to combine two beadings, preferably having an elliptical profile, one being adapted to pivot within the other and to cause jamming of a document between the outer heading and one of the edges of the inner beading. This method has the disadvantage of limiting the pull which can be applied to the document because it is only necessary to pull the latter with a force equal to that required to insert it in the device in order to draw it out of the latter. It is, moreover, necessary to provide means integral with the internal heading to allow it to pivot within the other beading.

The present invention has for its object to provide a beading device which overcomes the aforesaid various disadvantages and provides great security for a document when a pull is exerted on the latter so that there is no risk of the document being detached from the beading.

To this end, the present invention has for a general object to provide a process for applying a beading to at least one document having a level rectilinear upper edge, said process comprising threading this edge between the opposite faces of a first hollow beading, folding-the edge along thelength of one of these faces and introducing the assembly thus formed into the interior of a second beading, the thickness of the first beading being greater than the spacing between the edges of the second.

The present invention has also for an object to provide the beading device formed according to the aforesaid process.

Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to suspend wall maps or wall boards which form a single unit with their beading, without risk of the beading becoming detached. Moreover, the suspended articles can be moved at any time and hung in any convenient place, and this applies to pearl screens which, when beaded in the manner, are no longer diflicult to manage, nor of excessive weight, as is the case at present. Finally, the cost of such assemblies is greatly reduced.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, there will now be described, by way of non-limitative example, one embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings of which the figure is a transverse sectional view showing the complete system.

One particular embodiment resulting from carrying out the process of the invention consists of an assembly of beading having, in transverse section, a triangular profile truncated at its lower portion. These two profiles are arranged in such a manner that they cannot pivot with respect to each other, and it will be understood that the dimensions of these profiles are thus chosen accordingly.

The material 3 to be gripped, constituted by the document or documents to be beaded, is introduced into the slot 4 of a first beading 1, the spacing of the opposite faces of which is chosen according to the thickness of the said material. The material 3 is folded over the side of the beading 1, and the assembly thus formed is introduced, by sliding into the second beading 2, the slot 4 of the first beading being upwardly directed, and the slot 5 of the second beading being downwardly directed.

The width of the slots will, of course, be determined by the thickness of material to be gripped.

As shown in the drawings, the inner and outer beadings 1 and 2 are formed of relatively thin, material which is resilient to a limited degree.

The inner beading 1 is of generally a horseshoe shaped configuration as viewed in transverse cross section and the free ends of the legs of the horseshoe, which are spaced apart a distance sufficient only for the insertion therebetween of the edge portion of a document or like flexible sheet member, diverge from the slot 4 to the curved crown portion of the heading 1.

The outer beading is also of generally horseshoe shaped configuration as viewed in transverse cross section and the legs thereof diverge from the slot 5, which is considerably wider than the thickness of the document, to the curved crown portion of the heading.

The beadings 1 and 2 are of such a size and configuration that, when the inner heading 1 is inserted endwise into the outer beading 2 with the slot 4 closely adjacent the crown of the beading 2, the opposite sides of the crown portion of the inner beading I bear against the inner surface of the legs of the outer beading 2 adjacent to but spaced from the free ends of the legs thereof. The widest portion of the crown of the inner beading 1 is substantially wider than the width of the slot 5 provided between the free ends of the outer heading 2.

When the outer beading 2 is fixed and a moderate degree of downward pull is exerted on the document or flexible sheet member 3 in the arrangement illustrated in the drawing, the document 3 becomes wedged and frictionally gripped between the crown portion of the inner beading 1 and the inner opposed surface of the leg of the outer beading 2. As the degree of downward pull on the document 3 is increased, the inner beading 1 tends to be drawn downwardly within the legs of the outer heading 2 with the wedged portion of the document 3 thereby tending to cause the resilient legs of the outer beading to be wedged apart. The greater the degree of downward pull or force on the document 3, the greater the tendency for the legs of the outer beading 2 to be wedged apart. However, since it is not intended that any downward pull to which the document would reasonably be expected to be subjected will cause the legs of the outer beading 2 to be wedged apart a distance sufficient for the inner heading 1 to pass through the slot 5, the inner and outer beadings are designed to be of the size and gauge required to function in the manner described herein. The com 3 pressive force applied to the opposite sides of the curved crown portion of the inner beading 1, as it is being urged downwardly between the legs of the outer beading 2 by force exerted on the document 3, causes the legs of the inner beading 1 to be moved toward each other and the free ends of said legs to frictionally grip and hold the document between them. Thus it will be seen that the present beading device frictionally grips and holds the document against slipping or withdrawal at two different locations, that is at the slot 4 between the the free ends of the legs of the inner beading 1 and also at the line of wedging contact between the inner surface of the leg of the outer beading 2 and the opposed surface of the crown portion of the inner beading 1. Further, as the degree of downward pull or force exerted on the document increases, the wedging force on the document at the crown portion of the inner beading 1 increases and at the same time the gripping force between the free ends of the beading 1 increases.

With such a beading device a strong pull does not detach the material from the beading because of the automatic gripping induced by the pull itself. On the other hand, the process allows easy consultation of the documents contained in a file and eliminates the risk of such documents becoming detached from the file.

The present invention is not, of course, limited to the embodiment of the beading process herein described and shown but covers all variants of the invention, and particularly those employing beadings having polygonal and elliptical, etc. profiles.

I claim:

1. A beading device on a flexible strip having rectilinear edge, comprising: a flexible strip, an outer elongated beading of generally horseshoe shaped configuration as viewed in transverse cross section; and an inner, elongated beading of generally horseshoe shaped configuration as viewed in transverse cross section, said outer and said inner beadings both including a curved crown portion and a leg portion extending from each side of said crown portion, the legs of each beading being of substantially the same length and converging from said crown portion to the free ends thereof where they terminate in opposed, spaced apart relation, the space between the free ends of said inner beading being substantially equal to the thickness of the edge portion of the flexible strip, the space between the free ends of the outer beading being sufficient for the free unconfined passage of the flexible strip therethrough, said outer and inner beadings being so constructed and arranged that the free ends of the inner beading are disosed closely adjacent the inner surface of the crown portion of the outer beading and the opposite sides of the outer surface of the crown portion of the inner beading bear against the inner, opposed surface of the legs of the outer beading adjacent to but spaced from the free ends thereof, whereby the edge portion of the flexible strip, extending from within the inner beading outwardly between the free ends of the legs thereof, then along the outer side of one of the legs of the inner beading and between the inner beading crown portion and opposed inner surface of the leg of the outer beading and then outwardly between the free ends of the outer beading, is wedged between the crown portion of the inner beading and the opposed surface of the leg of the outer beading and at the same time is frictionally gripped between the free ends of the inner beading as a result of a pull exerted on the flexible strip in a direction normal to the length of the beading device.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,780,556 11/1930 Kallin et a1. 160-394 FOREIGN PATENTS 296,630 2/1917 Germany.

CHARLIE T. MOON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 29433, 469 

